Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I dealt with a number of matters in this area in considerable detail last week and I do not want to go over them again. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform met with representatives of the Garda Representative Association for more than two hours last week and he also met with the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors.

He has also indicated that he will write to Mrs. McCabe on the matter. I expect he will do so in the near future.

The Minister and I have made it clear that the issue of the release of Jerry McCabe's killers can only be considered in the context of acts of completion in the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons, which means ending the conflict once and for all. I said this last week, and I say the same now. I do not think I need to go over what the Minister said last night. I have looked at the text of what he said, which is what I have been saying for months.

See this speech in context